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Friday, January 22, 2010

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Posted by
Laura

Post by Laura--Now, I love Shannon Hale, and I didn’t dislike this book…BUT, I have to say it’s just not up to snuff compared to some of her other work.Sure, it’s different, exciting, at times even a little tense, however it’s also predictable, slow-moving, and a little bit hokey.There, I said it, “hokey.”I remember hearing Hale talk about the research she did to be inspired by authentic Mongolian legend and tradition when I went to a book signing just after the premiere of Book of a Thousand Days.So, I’m sure that I’m undervaluing the cultural value of the story, but still – werewolves?Really?That’s what it came down to?Lest I ruin it for the rest of you, I won’t delve any further into detailed hokiness, but suffice it to say I was expecting more than I got from the story.Nevertheless, it’s not a bad read, and the Mongolian tradition along with the journal-entry-style narrative makes it a unique novel.It’s worth a read, otherwise it wouldn’t have made the Beehive nomination, but don’t hold it to the same standard as the rest of Hale’s work.

Ah-hem. Well. I don't remember. It's been too long since I read it. I just remember I really liked it. I guess that means it's been long enough that I can re-read it. Which is awesome; I'm big on re-reading.

This was one of my favorite Hale books and it has been too long since I read it but I can roughly explain why. Sometimes you can take a predictable, yet alluring, plot and use it to supplant nuggets of wisdom and insight. The Tao of Pooh is a good example of this where the author uses the Winnie the Pooh stories to parallel Taoist teachings. Only in this case you are just reminded of or introduced to these charming truths through the daily writings in a journal of a normal girl. I think the fairy tale aspect is also original and the only reason it was predictable is Hale's extensive foreshadowing, which again, I attribute to eliminating suspense to force the reader to savor and endure the days, as in real life.